Koloti signs new deal at Sundawana

Luciah Phahla

Maseru

In-demand Lesotho Under-20 international Roboama Koloti has signed a new contract with Sundawana, but with the club leaving the door open for a possible record M2 million sale.

Koloti has been the subject of intense speculation all winter with Lioli and Bantu furiously chasing the striker who struck 13 goals last season to inspire Sundawana to a fourth place finish in the Vodacom Premier League.

Champions Lioli are believed to have already made a formal offer for the 17-year-old but have so far been rebuffed by Sundawana’s asking price of M2 million.

Recent weeks have also seen rumours linking Koloti with a big-money switch to Lesotho Mounted Police Service (LMPS).

Koloti, however, appears to have pledged his future to Sundawana by signing a new contract club sources say includes a significant pay raise in an attempt to keep the striker from bolting for Teyateyaneng or Mafeteng.

Speaking to thepost on Tuesday, enigmatic Sundawana owner Thato “Sandawana” Nkone hailed the striker’s contract renewal.

Nkone said it showed Koloti, nicknamed Masaena, is fully committed to the Butha-Buthe club.

“Everybody wants Masaena, (but) I can tell you that he committed himself to Sundawana willingly and signed a new contract,” Nkone said.

“He did it of his own will,” he added. “Nobody forced him because we did not want to look like we intimidated him. He is the one who told us he is not going anywhere and that if we want to sell him, it should be to a team outside the country.”

However, despite Koloti’s wish to be sold to a foreign club, Nkone said a local admirer could still land the highly talented striker, if they meet Sundawana’s M2 million valuation.

Sources close to the player have revealed Koloti has been flooded with phone calls from Lioli and Bantu officials trying to convince him to join their teams.

“(Lioli and Bantu) have been calling him telling him that they want him. I think it is a strategy to confuse the player and make him rebel against his team. It happened in the past with some players who left Sundawana due to bad behaviour because they had been promised contracts somewhere else,” a source who spoke on condition of anonymity said.

Nkone said he is aware of the approaches by rival clubs and he appeared to leave the door open for a record sale of his prized asset.

“It’s not only Lioli who wants (Koloti) but if they cannot give me what I want, they will not get him. Even Bantu want him. He is everyone’s player now; they call him and tell him you are a Lioli player and another calls and tells him you are a Bantu player,” he said.

Masaena is currently with the Makoanyane XI preparing for the second leg of the side’s African U-20 Cup of Nations qualifier against South Africa on Saturday.

Koloti missed the first leg two weeks ago due to injury but is expected to be available this weekend.